I bought this player without having heard it first as there are no Rotel dealers in my area. I had read the Absolute Sound review . . and then while I was waiting for the player to arrive, I encountered the HiFiChoice review. Ughh . . I thought. But when I got it and hooked it up, I was not dissapointed at all. This player rocks . . it has a very "black" background as some others have mentioned and it is FAR less tiring to listen to than the TEAC C-1D it replaced (the TEAC is a much less expensive player, though). I love how lively it sounds and discs that I could barely play before now sound great. For example, the opening harmonica on WhiskeyTown's Carol-Ann used to *kill* me on the TEAC. On the Rotel, it sounds harsh but no more harsh than it would if it were live. In other words, you don't run from the room. So - is it player of the year? I am not qualified to say . . . but I think I agree with Absolute Sound . . maybe HiFiChoice got a defective unit? One thing I wonder about is that HiFiChoice loved the 1070 . . . but did not like the 1072 because it is only a small upgrade from the 1070? I, for 1, love the 1072!